Quick Fit with Cassy

- Welcome to Quick Fit .

I'm your host, Cassy Vieth.

This is the fifth and final video in my Quick Fit balance series, designed for you to experience measurable improvements in no time.

You've progressed from holding onto a chair to balancing on one leg with simple movement.

Now you're ready for the advanced level.

Today, we'll add multi-directional movement so you can follow along with any Quick Fit class like a champ, and keep doing all the activities you love.

Let's get moving.

[bright music] Let's begin using the chair again just to warm up.

All right, simple leg swings.

We really need to warm up the hips because they have to do a lot of the work when we're balancing.

So, let that leg swing with the momentum.

Nice and high to the front and behind to stretch the front of the hip.

All right, then swing it across the front.

Take care not to kick your chair.

Cross and out to the side.

Cross and out.

Standing nice and tall.

And then diagonal, across and back.

Let the knee bend a little bit to the front.

And we will switch legs.

You're warming up the standing leg while the other leg is swinging.

I'm sure you felt that in your hip.

Okay, to the front and back.

[inhales and exhales] Stand tall.

Don't slouch.

Let the knee bend in the front, but straight in the back.

And now, across the front, out to the side.

Practice touching the chair just lightly.

And a few diagonals.

My hips are warming up already.

And good.

Now, just a couple heels up and down to stretch the toes, the feet, and the ankles.

And then let's move your chair out of the way 'cause we will not be using it for the rest of the class.

All right, get your weight on your right leg and extend your left to the front, and let's do those leg lifts.

Use your arms to balance you.

Remember, go as slow as you need to so that you feel stable and in control.

Now try to keep that foot off the floor without touching it between lifts.

Remember about staring at something that's not moving.

Out to the side, switching directions.

And think about your breathing.

And slowly try to change position without putting that foot down.

Extend that foot to the back, the whole leg.

Nice and straight, and squeeze the glutes to lift.

Few more.

All right, now this is where we start making it more advanced.

Cross in front of you.

Oh, yeah.

Cross.

Stop whenever you feel like you're going to have to put your foot down.

Okay, now let's do a few arches, so touch your heel in an arch.

A few leg circles to the front.

And ah!

Out to the side.

All right.

And foot down; good job.

Now, we didn't do a lot of repetitions at each position, but you'll be able to hit the pause button and set a timer, and see how long you can do those moves.

All right, you ready?

Shift your weight onto your left leg.

Extend the other to the front, and lift.

They don't have to be very big lifts or fast.

Remember, we start slow and then the speed comes gradually.

All right.

Breathe, stand tall.

Focus on one thing.

And out to the side, trying to change position without putting your foot down.

You guys are doing a good job.

Hang in there.

Stomach's in.

Try to have a nice, tall spine.

And out to the back.

Nice, straight leg.

Lifting from the glute.

And now, bring that leg back to the front and do across the body moves.

These are really advanced, so go as slow as you need to.

Cross and open.

Touch the heel in an arch.

Good job.

Leg circles.

Your foot and ankle are getting tired, your knee, your hip.

And to the side.

Almost done, hang in there.

All right, two feet down.

We will switch legs.

All right, arms out.

Let's bring your knee up.

Good, hold it there and stabilize.

Now, let's move the leg out to the side and across.

And out and across.

Good job!

Now try not to put your foot down until you're ready to.

All right, get stable.

Switch sides.

Bring that knee up.

[exhales] Breathe, check your posture.

And when you feel ready, then open and cross.

Well, my standing foot is wiggling all over the place.

All right, and across.

And open.

Good job; fight for it.

All right, and down.

Switching legs again for our final move.

Arms out.

Place your leg to the back with just your toes touching, and we will hinge forward.

And as your torso goes forward, let your leg come off the floor.

And hold this.

We'll hold it for a little while, but I'd like you to set a timer and increase your time each time you do it.

Good job.

Think about having a nice, straight line from your foot to your head, and from one fingertip to the other.

All right, and down.

We'll switch legs.

Hang in there.

Arms out.

[inhales] Extend the other leg to the back.

[exhales] Get stable.

Hinge forward, slow as you need to, and let the other leg come up.

Focus on one thing.

Pause as you need to.

Think about a nice, straight line again from the end of your fingers on one hand to the other.

Top of your head to your toes.

And then slowly come back up using control.

And you've graduated!

Now, looking back at yourself when you began, did you think this day would come?

I'm very proud of you because you were consistent.

That takes discipline, and you can't buy that.

Your reward is less vulnerability, more confidence, and maybe even a vision to try things you've been avoiding.

Share Quick Fit with a friend by sending them to pbswisconsin.org/quickfit so they too can live better, longer.

Thank you, and keep on moving.

– Announcer: Funding for Quick Fit with Cassy is provided by Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programs and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.